Twlight and Prejudice
by GippalGurl
Summary: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE MEETS TWILIGHT! BELLA X EDWARD ALICE X JASPER Bella Swan as Elizabeth Bennett meets Mr. Edward Cullen as Mr. Darcy and Alice Cullen as Jane Bennett meets Mr. Jasper Hale as Mr. Bingley in this mashup of Twilight and Pride and Prejudice
1. Chapter 1

_**As per my reviewer's requests this story has been revised so that now Mr. Bingley is played by Jasper Hale! Jacob Black will come into the story later on.**_

_**Hello and thank you for reading my second Twilight fic titled: Twilight and Prejudice. As you may have seen from the description, this in an AU story with your favorite twilight characters mixed in with the amazing novel Pride and Prejudice! I have taken a little from both books and combined them into my own little mixup fanfic! So please read and review and let me know what you think!**_

_**(A few little side notes) If you have not read and or seen the movie Pride and Prejudice, I HIGHLY recommend them! One of the greatest love stories ever told. Just want to let you guys know that there are some differences in this story between characters (most notably Alice is Bella's sister, not Edward's) so please keep in mind that this will not be completely canon. Also, this story takes place in the mid 1800's.**_

_**If you have any constructive criticisms or tips would be greatly appreciated!**_

_**Now!**_

_**On with Chapter 1f**_

"Bella Swan! BELLA! Get in this house this instant! Your father and I have something to discuss with you and your sisters! Gather them at once!"

My mother. Always so…dramatic…. There is never a dull moment in our quaint little farm house as long as she is awake. Even my poor quiet father never gets a moments peace when she is around.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Isabella Marie Swan. Everyone calls me Bella. I live on a little farmstead with my mother, father and two sisters. We have a quiet little life together, and I love it….Even with my overly dramatic mother's bouts of excitement…

Walking across our small bridge that looks out over our blue stream, I spot my sister Alice looking dreamily into it. She looks like an angel that has fallen from the sky. Her coal black hair curls neatly on her head and her dark eyes shine with curiosity. She is a year older than me, but she definitely has the spirit of a much younger person.

I called out to her. "Alice! Mother and father are calling us into the house! Do you know where Jessica is?"

Alice jumped up immediately, her blue dress covered in bits of grass.

"Bella! Oh you startled me! I was just watching the most curious school of orange fish swim by! What colors they had in the sunlight!" She seemed to float over the grass towards me.

"You are looking for Jessica? The last I saw of her, she was attempting to spy on poor Peter again while he milked the cows."

I had to suppress my laughter. You see my other sister Jessica was something of an innocent flirt. If there was such a thing. She was four years younger than my 20 but she, unlike Alice wanted to act much much older than she was.

"Well, run along into the house Alice, and I will fetch Jessica. Hurry, I don't know how much longer mother's voice can keep up. Can you not hear her calling to us now?"

Alice laughed lightly. Her laugh sounded like bells twinkling together. I walked quickly along our pasture until I reached the barn. Sure enough there was my little sister Jessica hiding behind a bale of hay, watching our handsome stable boy take care of the animals. Not wanting to embarrass her, I walked up slowly and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Bella!" Jessica whipped around quickly, startled despite my efforts to do the opposite. Her bright blue eyes were wide and her long blonde hair had pieces of hay sticking out in all directions. "What are you doing!? Don't let Peter see you! He doesn't know I am here."

A little too late, Peter had noticed me and walked out of the barn quietly. "Hello Miss Swan, Jessica. How are the Swan ladies doing this afternoon?"

Jessica simply blushed and giggled beneath Peter's dark blue gaze. I had never been one to be shy around the opposite sex, so I responded cheerfully. "We are doing fine today Peter. I have just come to fetch Jessica here as mother and father would like to speak to us right away."

"Off you ladies go then. I should get back to my chores." Peter tipped his cap to us and returned to the barn.

"Come along Jess. Your eyes will pop out of your head if you stare any longer." We both walked together back to the house. "Ohh Bella! Isn't he handsome? He has really grown into such a nice looking boy…"

I simply smiled and left Jessica to her thoughts while we walked back into our little house.

When we arrived in our living room, it seemed as though our mother was going to burst with excitement. Poor Alice looked as if she was going to go mad watching mother flit about the room. Our father was the epitome of calmness, as usual and sat reading a book in a nearby chair.

"Oh girls! What took you so long! I am simply going to faint dead away if I do not tell you the exciting news this very minute! Sit! Sit!" My mother ushered myself and Jessica onto the couch next to Alice who smiled sweetly.

I suppose you are wondering about my parents… Well let me tell you before we continue with the exciting news. My mother and father were married very young. 17 to be exact, and had Alice only two years after being married. Alice definitely took after my mother the most. They both had the same dark curls and shiny dark eyes. My mother was not very tall though, my sisters and I must have gotten that from our father. He was tall, with light brown hair and blue eyes. That is where Jessica got her looks from. Of course she had blonde hair, but our father had been blonde when he was a child. I took after both my mother and my father. My hair was long, usually kept in a bun at the base of my neck. It was a shade lighter than Alice's, but still dark. And my eyes were a light brown color.

Now, as for my mother's news….

"Dearest daughters! Do you know what I heard from Sir. Johnston at the bakery today? Well, I heard that a handsome bachelor has decided to move into Netherfield Estate! Netherfield! Can you believe it! The residence has been empty for years, but apparently the woman who owned it before left it to her handsome and very rich nephew! Do you know what that means girls!?"

Jessica jumped up immediately. "Oh mother! A handsome neighbor! Tell us about him! How old is he? How much money does he have? Is he alone?" She pranced around the room happily as questions continued to flow from her like river water.

"Sit down child! Stop flitting around!" My mother ushered the happily giggling Jessica back into her seat. Alice and I remained quiet. You see my mother, since the day that we had turned sixteen, had tried to hook every eligible bachelor with a fortune into marrying one of her daughters.

The sad matter was that we were not very well off when it came to money. We weren't poor. We just weren't rich enough for certain men's tastes. I was fine and well with that. If I grew to be an old maid, so be it. I wasn't going to simply marry someone because of their vast fortune. If I married I wanted it to be for love. Plain and simple. No matter what. I believed that Alice felt the same way. She never really conveyed her emotions too much to anyone. She was a shy person, who liked to keep to herself. There was no denying, though that her beauty would one day win over the handsomest, richest man in England.

Our mother meant well, you see. She just went about the wrong way of conveying her well doings. Pushing men on us was not the way to make us fall in love. Well, Jessica maybe, but she would soon grow out of that, hopefully. Alice and I were too smart for that.

My mother's voice interrupted my thoughts suddenly. "Bella! ISABELLA! Did you hear me?"

"What mother? I'm sorry I didn't…"

"Young girl, always drifting off into dream land….There is to be a ball at Meryton Park! Tomorrow night! We have all been invited! And guess who is going to be there? Mr. Hale! Our handsome new neighbor! We were of course invited by Mr. Chatterley and his wife! Oh if this Mr. Hale does not marry one of my daughters at this ball, I do not know what I will do! Heaven help me!" Mother flopped herself dramatically down next to my father, who simply kept reading the paper.

Alice and I glanced at each other and suppressed our laughter. We had heard that phrase a million times over….

The next day was hectic as preparations were made, dresses mended, hair done…All in the hopes (at least our mother's hopes) that one of us would catch the eye of the handsome Jasper Hale. Jessica's excitement was catching, and soon everyone in the house was buzzing about what food there would be to eat at the ball, what sorts of music would be played, and of course, who would be there.

When the time to leave came I slipped into Alice's room to get her approval on what I wore. It was a simple outfit really. We didn't have extremely nice ballroom gowns like the richer ladies in town did. I wore a light pink off the shoulder dress that flowed beautifully to the floor. It made me feel like a graceful orchid. Of course walking in and seeing Alice made me feel more like a crab weed…

Alice had pinned her beautiful curls on top of her head, with just a few hanging down in the back and the sides. She wore a dress that was the blue of the afternoon sky, and in her hair small delicate white flowers were placed gracefully.

"Oh Alice, you look like an angel. Really. If this Mr. Hale doesn't fall head over heels in love with you tonight, well I am no judge in beauty!"

"Oh stop Bella. You look just as beautiful. That dress is very becoming to your figure. Here, put this white rose behind your ear. It will bring out your ivory skin that much more."

Alice and I met our mother and father at the stairs. The coach was outside waiting to take us to the ball.

"Jessica! Dear! Come along! We are going to be late! I'm sure there are plenty of handsome men waiting for your arrival! I heard that even Peter was invited!"

Those magic words sent Jessica careening ungracefully down the stairs. I must say despite her entrance, that she also looked very pretty with her blonde hair flowing and a lovely mint green dress on.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach on the bumpy coach ride over to Meryton Park. We certainly weren't that far from there to begin with. Fifteen minutes by coach. But it seemed ever so much longer.

When we arrived, I could hardly keep Jessica from bouncing out of her seat next to me. Coaches lined up one after another to let the ball-goers out. Beautiful music flitted out of the large open front doors of Meryton and over the encompassing front lawn. Meryton and the Chatterley's had always been a favorite place to visit when I was a child. It had been a year at least since I had last been here though. It hadn't changed one bit. Still beautiful, and extremely large.

My family and I stepped from our coach when it pulled up to the front of the house and walked quickly into the warmth. It was a chilly night and our thin dresses did not shield the cool air. Mother of course would not allow any of us to wear our coats, as it would surely ruin our gowns.

After greeting Mr. Chatterley and his wife, I made my way through the crowds with Alice, eyeing handsome men here and there and greeting people I knew from town. I soon spotted one of my closest friends Angela walking quickly towards me. Her light brown hair is curled tonight and her light brown eyes are sparkling with the excitement of the ball.

"Bella dear! How are you! I haven spoken to you in weeks! You look beautiful, as do you Alice!"

"Oh thank you Angela! You look lovely yourself! How have you been!" I said as I hugged my old friend tightly. As Angela started talking about how she had been, I let my eyes wander across the crowds trying to spot the infamous Mr. Hale. I spied my mother in a far corner going on loudly about one of us I am sure. Jessica was dancing in the middle of the floor, surrounded by three young men her age. All of them were laughing cheerfully.

I turned to say something to Alice, but as soon as I did I noticed that the music had stopped and the crowd had become quiet. Alice was staring at the front of the room towards the entrance. I follow her gaze to see what had caused the interruption.

There in the entrance hall, walking slowly towards the dance floor were three people. The first man on the left was very tall and very handsome. He had blonde shoulder length hair that had been tied up with a dark blue ribbon. His dark eyes scanned the room and he had a wide friendly grin on his face. He was dressed smartly with a dark green coat and black pants on. Next to him walked the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Next to Alice of course.

She had pale golden blonde hair and the most piercing amber eyes I had ever seen. She, unlike the Mr. Hale, is not smiling at all. In fact she looks as if something terrible had come up and bit her square on the nose.

Even with the look she had on her face, she outshined every woman in the room. And then as I glanced at the man standing next to her, my breath caught in my throat. The most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on walked steadily on towards the crowds. His auburn hair seemed to gleam in the candlelight, and his amber eyes look straight ahead. He seems to not notice anyone around him, he looks right into my eyes as he walks by. He seems to glance right into my soul for a split second, and then he is gone. How tall and graceful he looks. All three of them as a matter of fact. They all seem to float across the floor and melt into the crowds.

My friend Angela spoke up next to me. Quietly she said, "The tall man on the left is Mr. Jasper Hale. You know of him Bella, he has moved into Netherfield. The young lady next to him is his twin sister Miss Rosalie Hale, and the tallest man on the right is Mr. Edward Cullen. They are all staying at Netherfield indefinitely to help Mr. Hale get settled.

I am still speechless as the music started to play again and things returned to normal. Suddenly I heard my mother's loud voice calling to myself and Alice over the crowds.

"Bella! Alice! Dears! Over here!" She ran up to us quickly, almost knocking a drink out of a young man's hand in the process. "Oh you must hear what I have just found out! The young man with the golden hair is Mr. Hale!! And do you know what else I heard? Why his friend Mr. Cullen is richer than even he! At least three times moreover! Oh my dears! Don't you see! We will make a match tonight! Just you wait! Come! Come! I must introduce you!"

Taking a deep breath, and holding Alice's hand, we followed our mother over to where the three guests of honor are waiting. I noticed that Edward's gaze drifted over to me a few times, almost scrutinizingly. I hoped he wasn't going to be like his sister.

"Mr. Hale! Mr. Cullen and Miss Hale! It is a pleasure to finally meet you! I would like to introduce you to two of my daughters. This is my eldest daughter Alice Swan, and my middle child Isabella Swan. My youngest Jessica is over on the dance floor now."

Jasper's black eyes lit up at the sight of Alice's shy smile and he introduced himself to all of us. He had an extremely deep voice, but it was gentle and kind. "It is an honor to meet such beautiful ladies here tonight." He bowed gracefully and we returned his bow with nods of our heads. "Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Mr. Edward Cullen, and this is my sister Miss Rosalie Hale. Again we bowed our heads to each guest.

Jasper immediately struck up a conversation with Alice, and my mother with his sister Rosalie. That left me with Edward's penetrating gaze. I spoke first simply to break the tension.

"So, um Mr. Cullen. Do you dance?"

His eyes swept the room when I spoke, and his voice came out like smooth velvet. He was so much more taller than me so I had to gaze up into his beautiful features to focus on what he said.

"Not if I can help it."

Well…that was not something I expected to come from his mouth…Not knowing what else to say to such a response, I bowed my head lightly to him as I walk away to find Alice. I must tell her about this Mr. Cullen and the airs he put on.

Later in the evening, after discovering that Alice and Mr. Hale are completely inseparable, I discover my friend Angela sitting behind a lace dressing curtain sipping a glass of wine. I snuck behind the curtains and we started to chat about what had been happening.

Suddenly I silenced her. I heard a familiar deep voice just outside of the curtain. We opened it just a slit to see Jasper and Edward talking quietly.

"Edward, old boy, why are you not out dancing with every lady in sight! There are so many lovely ones here this evening."

I looked at Edwards's ridiculously handsome yet overly serious face. He did not crack a smile while he spoke.

"Jasper, you know that you are dancing with the only handsome lady here this night."

"Oh Edward do cheer up a little. Oh, Alice is beautiful isn't she? The most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on actually. But what about her sister? She is quite agreeable isn't she? Very very pretty!"

"She's barely tolerable, I dare say. But not handsome enough to tempt me. You should run back to your partner and enjoy her smiles. You are wasting your time with me."

I closed the curtain slowly after hearing the men walk off. My friend Angela looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Oh Bella, be happy that he thinks that of you. Had he liked you, you might have had to dance with him."

My insides burned at the audacity of Mr. Cullen's remark. Barley tolerable!? How dare he….

Of course I would never let my friend know that his comment had stung me deeply.

"Oh Angela, I would not have danced with him for even half of Netherfield.

Not even the barely tolerable half."

CHAPTER 1 END

_**I am so sorry for deleting my story and reposting it….I just thought that it would be better to just start over. My apologies to those who had it on their favorites lists and alert list! Thanks so much for reading my story! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! Please read and review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hello_**

**_Please note: Per my reviewer's requests the story has been changed! Mr. Bingley is now being played by Jasper Hale!! Jacob Black will come into the story later!_**

**_Hello! And thank you again for reading my story: Twilight and Prejudice! I hope you enjoy the second chapter! And again if you have not seen the movie Pride and Prejudice or read the book by Jane Austen, I HIGHLY recommend it if you are a fan of romances…._**

**_Please read and review my story!_**

**_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, I really appreciate it!_**

Chapter 2

The morning after the ball was over; I awoke to hear my mother giving my father an earful about what had happened. Of course she had to mention the fact that the handsome Mr. Edward Cullen vexed her dear daughter by insulting her looks.

I simply laughed to myself.

Remembering the night before caused many feelings to flood into me. Mostly joy and happiness, but of course there is some animosity towards Mr. Cullen and his rude countenance. Alice awakened in the bed next to mine and as we talked about Mr. Hale all of those feelings wash away to be replaced with pure happiness for my sister.

"Oh Bella, isn't he such a wonderful man? So cheerful and polite to everyone!"

"Yes Alice I do agree he is very kind. And he danced twice with you! He did not do that with any other lady there!"

"Yes, but he asked Angela to dance first…." Alice got up slowly and began to arrange her dark curls. I got up and did the same with my braided brown locks.

"Oh Alice you are too modest. He only danced with Angela so he could ask about you! That is what she told me last night."

Alice's dark eyes sparkled with happiness over the news that Mr. Hale had asked about her.

"And what about that Mr. Edward Cullen. Oh Bella I am so sorry to hear what he said about you. Do you really think he is as horrible as everyone seems to think?"

"I will hear none of it Alice dear. His words have been forgotten. As for his countenance, well you are only as good as you project yourself to be. And if his behavior last night was any indication of his true personality, I would like to never find out anything else about Mr. Edward Cullen."

Alice obviously saw something on my face that made her change the subject quickly. "Well what did you think about Mr. Hale's sister Miss Rosalie? What beautiful skin she has. She paid me the nicest compliment last night….I think she is rather pleasant."

"Hmm…pleasant…not quite the words I would have thought to describe Miss Hale…" I fastened up the buttons on my dark blue dress and helped Alice with hers. Personally I thought that Miss Hale was very proud and vain. I could tell by her cold blue eyes that scanned everyone that walked in front of her, that she was definitely the overly critical sort. I didn't mention this to my sister though since she had taken a liking to Miss Rosalie, and I could always be wrong about one's character.

Alice and I walked arm in arm downstairs, still chatting about the ball. Breakfast was being served and we could hear our mother still chatting animatedly to our little sister about what they had seen at the ball. As we walked in I saw father at the end of the table, his face buried in his newspaper, like usual.

"Good morning my beautiful girls! Do come in and sit down! I was just telling your father about last night and what a time we had! Oh Alice you did look so beautiful! And Mr. Hale couldn't take his eyes off of you all night. I think there will be a match with him yet! And Bella dearest I asked your father to go to Netherfield this very morning and challenge that horrible Mr.Cullen to a battle to the death over what he said about you last night. But to you think your father would do it!?"

My father looked over his morning paper at mother and said "Maybe after tea dear. I always feel up to running someone through with a sword after I have had my Earl Grey and scones." He smiled and winked at me before disappearing behind his paper again.

"OOOH you terrible man, making fun of me so!" My mother exclaimed as she violently buttered a piece of bread.

Thankfully one of our house servants came in with a letter for Alice and interrupted my mother's inevitable tirade. He announced that it was from Netherfield. Of course this caused a flurry of excitement to erupt from everyone around the table, except of course my father, who calmly still read his paper.

Alice took it quickly, her eyes shining as she read it aloud.

_Dearest Alice,_

_Would you please do me the honor of coming to Netherfield this afternoon for dinner? I am dreadfully lonely here with just the company of my brother and Mr. Cullen, and long for more womanly conversations. My brothers will be dining away this evening so I would love to have you join me._

_Looking forward to seeing you darling._

_Your's truly,_

_Rosalie Hale_

My mother spoke up first. "Oh dear, well that is too bad that Mr. Hale is dining out. But still a good thing that Miss Hale has taken interest in you dearest! That just brings you ever so much closer to his circle of friends!"

Alice looked happy to be invited to Netherfield for dinner, yet a hint of sadness showed on her face at the fact that Mr. Hale would not be in that evening.

"Mother, may I take the carriage over to Netherfield?" Alice asked her eyes shining.

"Nonsense child, you shall go on horseback."

"Horseback!" Alice and I exclaimed in unison.

"Mother, you must not be serious. It certainly looks like rain." I motioned to a nearby window where dark looking clouds were building up in the distance.

"Exactly, Bella dear. Which means that Alice will simply have to stay overnight at Netherfield!"

Alice had a look of fright on her face at the prospect of riding horseback in the pouring rain. We tried to argue the fact but our mother simply would hear nothing of it. Even from our father.

And so one hour later saw Alice off on our old mare looking wistfully back at the warm house as the storm clouds billowed closer and closer.

Not even fifteen minutes later, and the sky opened up with a steady downpour that did not let up until midnight.

The next morning brought a letter from Netherfield for me from Alice. I read it aloud to everyone at the breakfast table.

_Dearest Bella,_

_I am sending word to let you know to please not worry about me. I have made it to Netherfield, but I am afraid that I have come down with a bad cold due to being soaked through from the rain yesterday. Jasper and Rosalie have insisted that I stay until I am well again, and I must say I am grateful for that. I don't think I could bear to ride back home again on that old mare. Mr. Hale has sent for his family doctor to come and visit me this afternoon so I did not want you to worry if you heard from him that I was sick._

_Give all my love to the family,_

_Alice_

My father was the first to speak. "Well my dear wife, if your daughter should have a fit of illness and suddenly die it will be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Hale, and completely under your orders."

My mother hopped from the table like a small rabbit. "Oh do stop it sir, nobody dies of a simple cold these days! She will be very well taken care of at Netherfield. And now you see Mr. Hale gets to spend ample time with her!"

I was worried for my sister; I did not like the idea of her being alone in that large house with strangers. Even if she was fond of Mr. and Miss Hale.

"Mother, may I go to Alice and help nurse her back to health. I am sure that her recovery would be twice as fast if she had someone she knew well with her."

"Silly girl! No you cannot! One of our horses is unavailable and the other cannot pull our carriage alone! You will stay right here! Trampling around in the mud? Really!"

"Mother I must insist that I go to Alice."

My father spoke up.

"I agree with Bella dear, Alice needs someone with her. I can send for a neighbor's carriage if you would like.."

"No father that will not be necessary. I will walk to Netherfield. It is only three miles, and the weather after the rain will be good for me."

My mother huffed and puffed the entire time I was getting ready to go, and as I left the house, waving happily to my family.

An hour later found me at the large front door of Netherfield. The butler greeted me and looked me up and down as if he had never seen anything like me in the world. I had let my long hair down to let the cool breeze run through it and it was currently flowing around my face.

"Hello, I am Alice Swan's sister. I am here to inquire about her…"

The butler let me in slowly and marched me along to a side parlor. Netherfield was amazing. Large and spacious with windows everywhere and beautiful statues and pictures lines the various rooms we passed.

I waited as the butler introduced me. "A Miss Swan here to see her sister sir." I then heard Jasper's cheerful deep voice.

"Let her in! It must be the delightful Bella!"

I walked in slowly and found Jasper standing to greet me. As soon as I entered the room completely I spotted Miss Hale in the corner and Edward on the couch reading. As soon as they saw me enter they stood up. Mr. Cullen quickly and Miss Hale much more slowly.

"Hello Mr. Hale, Miss Hale and Mr. Cullen…I am sorry to intrude upon you but I thought it imperative that I came to see my sister as soon as I could."

Jasper walked toward me and hugged me amiably. "Of course Miss Swan. Your sister is being very well taken care of, but she could definitely use the company of family to help her get better!"

I could feel the piercing amber gaze of Edward Cullen staring at me. I took a moment to glance at him and saw that his handsome face looked serious, but not un-pleased to see me. Miss Hale, on the other hand looked mortified at my appearance and did not try to hide it. I did not care. I knew I looked fine enough to call on Alice, and that is what I was there for.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to be taken to her now…." I didn't want to stand there any longer under that amber gaze of Mr. Cullen's.

"Of course! Let me show you to her Miss Swan! Right this way!" Jasper led the way, his long legs striding joyfully down the hallway to where my sister's room was.

He let me in, and followed me in to check on my sister. Walking into the dark room, I saw her beautiful pale face above a large feather down comforter. She had her eyes closed, but as soon as she heard us come in, she opened them and smiled her glorious smile at me.

"Oh Bella dear, thank you so much for coming and visiting me….And Mr. Cullen, thank you for everything you have done. I am so sorry that this has happened…"

Jasper tenderly took Alice's hand into his and spoke softly. "I will hear none of it Miss Swan. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like... Of course… I am not saying that I want you to be ill forever…." He faltered, and I had to stifle my laughter.

Alice smiled shyly as Mr. Hale softly put her hand down and left us in peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello All_**

**_Hello All! Thank you so much for reading my story! And thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate it! Here we go with chapter 3! Please read and review!_**

CHAPTER 3

I spent the night with my sister; constantly keeping watch to make sure that she was comfortable and didn't need anything. There was certainly no shortage of attention from Mr. Hale and his servants throughout the night, and that helped me sleep a little.

The next morning I awoke and walked down the long hallway to the dining room where I could hear Rosalie's voice.

"Did you see her petticoat!? Six inches deep in mud! I have never heard of a lady walking as far as she did. And by herself! Can you believe that Edward?"

I did not hear a reply from Mr. Cullen. I decided it was time to break up Rosalie's little tirade before she went any further.

I knocked quietly on the door and walked in. Jasper stood up immediately and asked how Alice was doing.

"Oh she is doing good Mr. Hale, thanks to Dr. Jacobs. She said he did a wonderful job. I'm sure that some rest and medicine will be all that she needs."

"Well then, both you and her are welcome to stay as long as you like Miss Swan. Please let me send a servant to your house to get you some more clothing and personal items. I insist." Jasper summoned one of his many butlers and told him to send a servant with word to my family that I was going to stay and get my personal belongings.

"Oh thank you so much Mr. Hale. I was hoping that you would ask me to stay. I know that my sister's recovery will be that much quicker with me at her side."

Jasper's dark eyes lit up as he smiled. Mr. Cullen continued to look at me with those piercing amber eyes, still not speaking. Rosalie walked up to me and put on her most lavish smile.

"Oh Isabella darling! We are so pleased to have you here with us! And your charming sister…What a shame she is so ill. She is such a sweet dear…I am sure she will be better in no time."

Putting on my sweetest smile, I replied to her. "Oh thank you Miss Hale."

"Won't you please come and join us for some breakfast Miss Swan?"

"I regretfully decline your offer Miss Hale. I think that it would be better right now if I remained at my sister's side to make sure that she is ok."

"I will send the servant up with some breakfast for you then Miss Swan." Jasper spoke up. "Does your sister need more pillows? Perhaps some soup? Is it warm enough in the room for her?"

I smiled at Mr. Hale's obvious worry for my sister. ". I think that all she will need are a few more days rest and she will be good as new."

After that I nodded to Miss Hale and Mr. Cullen who still had not said anything to me. He just kept looking at me with those eyes.

The next few days at Netherfield flew by as my sister recovered little by little and started to become her old self. I found that Mr. Cullen had finally started to speak to me a little, and I also noticed that Miss Hale became increasingly indifferent to me. Almost as if she was jealous.

Three days after my arrival my sister urged me to go downstairs for a while and socialize.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay up here Alice?"

"Bella, yes I am sure. I am getting better every day. I even took a turn down the hallway yesterday with Mr. Hale and I felt fine. Pretty soon we will be going home."

I noticed a look of sadness creep into her dark eyes. I knew that every day we spent in Netherfield meant another day my sister was falling in love with Mr. Hale.

"Alright dear, I will leave you for a while. Please ask for someone if you need anything and I will be here as quickly as I can."

"I am going to take a nice nap, Bella, so I should be just fine….I'm enjoying the breeze from the window right now anyways."

I smiled and left my sister to nap. Going downstairs I could hear Miss Hale's voice ringing down the hall. Walking into the sitting room found Mr. Cullen writing a letter, Miss Hale hanging over his shoulder constantly asking him questions and Mr. Hale sitting on the couch watching the two with a dreamy look on his face.

Everyone stopped and greeted me when I walked into the door, and afterwards I took up a book and observed what was happening.

"How delighted Ms. Cullen will be to receive such a letter!" Rosalie spoke while leaning in to see what Mr. Cullen was writing. "Oh you do write so elegantly Mr. Cullen! And how fast you write!"

Mr. Cullen, without even looking from his paper spoke up. "You are mistaken. I write uncommonly slow."

"Pray tell your sister that I am longing to see her!"

"I have already told her so once, by your request."

"Oh your pen is not working properly! Please give it here and I will mend it! I am extremely good at mending pens!"

"Thank you-but I always mend my own pens."

"How can you write so evenly Mr. Cullen?"

He was silent and kept writing.

"Do tell your sister that I hope her skills on the harp are improving. Tell her that her last piano forte concert she conducted was absolutely splendid and I cannot wait until we are back in London together again so we can attend another one of those absolutely entrancing operas!"

"Will you give me leave to defer your raptures until I write again? At this time I have no room to do them justice."

"Oh it is of no concern. I will be seeing her in January anyway. How tall is Ms. Cullen now?"

"She is about the height of Ms. Swan actually."

I looked up to see Mr. Cullen staring at me. His handsome features not the least bit bothered by Miss Hale's constant questioning. Rosalie looked as if she wanted to jump over the couch and lash me with her nails. Instead, she put on her sweetest smile and began to walk around the room. Most likely to try and catch the attention of Mr. Cullen with her tall elegant figure.

After two or three turns it was evident that Mr. Cullen would not be swayed. He was intent on finishing his letter.

Finally giving up walking by herself, Rosalie approached me.

"Bella, dear will you take a turn around the room with me? I assure you, it is very refreshing after sitting in one place for so long." She held her arm out to me. I was surprised at this, but did not refuse. A walk around the room actually sounded nice.

I noticed that Mr. Cullen immediately stopped writing and looked up as Miss Hale and I walked arm in arm.

"Mr. Cullen, would you like to join us for a turn about the room?"

"I would not. For I can only imagine two motives for wanting to walk about the room together, and either of which I would simply be in the way."

Miss Hale's eyes lit up. "What could he mean? Bella dear whatever do you think Mr. Cullen means?"

I replied. "I know not. I believe he intends to be severe on us, and the best way to disappoint him would be to not inquire about it at all."

Miss Hale had no intention of disappointing the wonderful Mr. Cullen. So she of course asked him. He seemed pleased to reply.

"You either choose this method because you are in each other's confidence and you have secret matters to discuss, or you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage when you are walking. If it is the first, well I would simply be in your way. If it is the second….well, I can admire you much better from where I am sitting."

I could feel Mess Hale's pulse quicken at Mr. Cullen's words. She was obviously pleased at what he had said.

"How shocking Mr. Cullen! Why Miss Swan how ever shall we punish him?"

"Why it isn't so easy now is it? We could tease him…laugh at him…"

"Oh no Miss Swan, for Mr. Cullen cannot be teased…as for laughing…well he would probably take it as a compliment!"

"Mr. Cullen not be teased or laughed at!" I replied, shocked at what Miss Halef was saying. "Well what a loss that is. I dearly love a laugh."

Mr. Cullen gazed at me, a neutral look on his face. His chiseled jaw twitched as he spoke. "Miss Hale has given me credit for more than can be. The smartest and greatest of men may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."

"Well there are certainly such people," I replied, "But I certainly hope I am not one of them. I hope I never laugh and ridicule what is wise or good. Jokes and follies do divert me I confess, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But there, I suppose that is exactly what you sir are without."

"Perhaps that is not possible for anyone. But it has been a lifelong study to avoid such weaknesses that expose a strong reason to ridicule."

"Such as vanity and pride Mr. Cullen?" Of course I was hinting at the night of the ball when he decided to directly insult me.

"Oh vanity is a weakness indeed Miss Swan. But pride, I believe that pride when there is a true superiority of mind, will always be a good quality to have."

I simply turned away to hide my smile. I no longer felt like arguing with Mr. Cullen. There was simply no understanding how someone could think of others the way he did.

Rosalie finally spoke up. "Well Miss. Swan, are you done with your study of our Mr. Cullen? Pray tell us the results."

"I am convinced that Mr. Cullen has not faults. He believes himself to be perfect and shows it without disguise."

"No, Miss Swan, I have made no such statement. I do have my faults enough; I simply hope to be understood. For example, I have been told that I have a terrible temper when provoked. My temper could, perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost forever."

"Well that is a fault indeed! Resentment is a terrible shade on character. But I assure you, you have chosen you fault well. I simply would not laugh at that. You are safe from me sir."

"There is, I believe in every person a tendency to some particular evil. Some natural defect, which not even the best of education can overcome."

"And your defect, Mr. Cullen, is a propensity to hate everybody."

"And yours," he replied with a beautiful crooked smile, "is to utterly misunderstand everybody."

Rosalie interrupted our heated conversation, obviously displeased that she was not a part of it. "Do let us have a little music now!"

She went to the pianoforte and began playing a cheerful tune.

Mr. Cullen glanced one more time at me and then went back to writing his letter. I decided that he was not worth my time or energy and instead focused on the music coming from the pianoforte.


	4. Chapter 4

**I just wanted to thank everyone again for their nice reviews and for helping out by pointing out the little errors that I have made LOL! I corrected them, so please let me know if you see anymore! ON with the next chapter!**

_Chapter 4_

It took a few more days for my good sister to recover herself fully, and in those two days, I spent most of my time tending to her, reading in the garden, and trying to avoid the amber gaze of Mr. Cullen, who continually attempted to capture my attention in one way or another.

Last night he actually had the audacity to ask me for a dance, while Miss Hale played a happy little tune on her pianoforte.

"Miss Swan, do you not feel a great inclination to dance a reel at this moment? Come, the music is cheerful and I can see you are enjoying it."

I continued to look over the picture book I had taken up and did not answer him.

He repeated his question, his voice revealing a little surprise at my silence toward him.

I glanced up into his handsome face.

"Oh! I heard you before, but I could not determine what I was going to reply with. I know you wanted me to say 'Yes,' so that you could then make some sort of comment about my taste in music or the way I dance. I must say that I delight in overthrowing such schemes, though, and I shall decline your invitation for dancing a 'reel' as you say. There. Despise me if you dare."

Mr. Cullen smiled ever so slightly down at me. His amber eyes glowing. "I dare not." He said quietly and returned to his seat on the sofa.

I glanced at Miss Hale and, though she continued to play just as beautifully as before, there was a glitter in her eyes that told me that she had heard our entire conversation. She was none too pleased that Mr. Cullen had invited me to a dance, even though I turned him down.

Why, I could not understand, would Mr. Cullen be interested in someone like me? It certainly seemed that he was if he would ask me to dance with him. I would not budge on my opinion, though.

To me, he was still the self centered, arrogant man I had first laid eyes on that night at Meryton. No matter how handsome or rich he was. And no matter how many dances he asked from me.

This very morning I had been walking quietly through the garden, down a little green path, admiring the daisies that were blooming.

It was then that I heard Miss Hale's bell like tone drifting toward me. Unbeknownst to me, she had just been poking fun at Mr. Cullen and myself, trying to make him dislike me.

She had been talking of my family and the ridiculousness of my sisters.

I had interrupted their little walk by happening upon them on the lane.

"Why Miss Swan! We did not know you were taking a walk in the garden today also! Is it not a lovely day?" She looked at me as she spoke, her beautiful face smiling sweetly as if nothing had been happening.

Of course, Mr. Cullen's gaze seemed to pierce right to my core, and I had to glance away from him.

"Why yes it is a lovely day Miss Hale, thank you. I was just admiring your brother's garden. So nicely kept."

Miss Hale thanked me and then grasped Mr. Cullen's arm and pulled him down a smaller path to their left.

She glanced back at me. "Come, Miss Swan, join us. Just through here is a lovely garden full of daffodils. Come."

She walked on with Mr. Cullen, who immediately glanced back. He had noticed that the small path she was leading him down was only large enough for two people. If I were to go, I would have to walk behind the two of them.

She had done that on purpose.

He stopped and turned toward me. "This path is not wide enough for all of us. Perhaps we should walk down the avenue and find another path into the daffodil garden?"

I could see Miss Hale's pale skin darken slightly. I laughed inwardly at her efforts to keep me away from Mr. Cullen. I never had the least inclination to stay with them in the first place.

"No, no, please stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to a picturesque advantage. A third person would simply ruin the atmosphere." I smiled and then ran off quickly, not wanting to be around the gloomy Mr. Cullen or the mean Miss Hale any longer.

Later that evening, I conveyed to Alice what had happened that day, and we both had a good laugh about it.

She was definitely feeling much better than before, and told me that while I was out in the garden, She and Mr. Hale had enjoyed a very nice lunch and had chatted away the afternoon. She also told me that she had written to our family yesterday to come and pick us up.

For, though she was having a wonderful time with Mr. Hale here, she did not want to overstay her welcome here and was slightly homesick.

Therefore, the next day, our mother and our sister Jessica arrived and proceeded to plant themselves in Mr. Hale's sitting room, in complete awe of his very large and beautiful house.

My sister and I were seated across from them; all packed up and ready to go.

Mr. Cullen was standing against a back wall, and Miss Hale was near him, her arms folded glaring slightly at my family.

Mr. Hale was the only person in the room to whom my mother was speaking.

"Oh Mr. Hale, I just want to offer you mfy most sincere thanks for taking care of my dear Alice. I do not know what we would have done without your help with her illness."

"Oh it was my pleasure Mrs. Swan. Really, both of your daughters and the rest of your family for that matter are welcome anytime at Netherfield."

My sister, very energetically spoke up. "Mr. Hale! When are you going to throw a ball here at Netherfield? This place would be so much livelier with a few more people and some happy music! Perhaps the regiment could come?"

"Jessica!" I spoke up slightly. She never knew when to hold her tongue. I was not sure if Mr. Hale would take this question the wrong way or not. I could just feel the iciness from Miss Hale and Mr. Cullen behind me, and knew what they must be thinking of my sister and mother.

Mr. Hale simply smiled and laughed quietly. "Why, Jessica, once your sister is fully recovered and feeling 100 percent better, you may name the date of the ball yourself."

You would have thought that someone had just handed my little sister the entire world in a basket. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she thanked Mr. Hale.

We all decided that it was time for our goodbyes. Our belongings were carried out to the awaiting carriage in the front of the house, and as my sister and I walked arm in arm outside, I could hear Miss Hale talking quietly to Mr. Cullen behind us, and just behind them, my mother and Jessica chatting animatedly with Mr. Hale.

As we all reached the coach, Mr. Hale said his goodbyes to everyone, holding my sister's hand much longer than anyone else's before helping her on the coach.

I said goodbye to Mr. Hale myself then, and thanked him again for letting me and my sister stay for as long as we did. I then politely bowed to Miss Hale, and thanked her. I got a very cheerful reply from her, much to my surprise. She had certainly livened up since she had learned that my sister and I were to be returning home.

I walked to join my sisters and mother on the coach, and noticed that Mr. Cullen was standing by the entrance, looking down at me.

I did not know what to say to him, and he apparently did not know what to say to me at that moment. He simply bowed politely to me, and I to him, and then I got on the coach.

As I pulled myself up, I felt a warm hand slip under mine. I glanced over to see that it was Mr. Cullen's hand, and he was helping me into the coach.

Electricity flew into my arm and over my body. My eyes met his and as quickly as he had touched me, he was gone, walking quickly back into Netherfield.

I hardly heard any of the conversations that were going on between my mother and sisters on our ride back home. In my mind, all I saw were those piercing amber eyes, and felt the tingling warmth where his hand had touched mine.

**Please read and review this chapter! Thank you so much for reading my fanfic! I am having a great time bringing these two worlds together into one! Chapter 5 will be up soon! **


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